The sweet potato vine features attractive leaves that come in a variety of colors and leaf patterns. This vine with its cascading lime green or grayish green leaves is quite attractive when planted with purple or burgundy verbena or brightly hued wave petunias. The arrangement of the flowers and vine in the container is quick and easy to do. This container garden needs minimum care making it an ideal garden for small yards or apartment balconies. Here are some tips on how to plant a sweet potato container garden.
Products Needed for Container
A large hanging container
Two verbena plants (your choice of color)
Four sweet potato vines
Potting soil, compost or manure
Organic mulch or moss
Controlled released fertilizer
Hose with mist nozzle
When to plant
Plant your sweet potato vine outside 2-3 weeks after the danger of a spring frost has past. For seeds, you should plant them indoors eight weeks before the last frost. Germination for the seed takes up to a month. Time the planting of the seeds to coincided with an after frost planting. Add small wooden stakes to your seed planter. This stake will support the vine.
Arranging and planting
Fill the container with 1/2 potting soil, then top with four to six inches of compost or manure. Next, mix the controlled release fertilizer into the soil. Plant your verbena plant in the center of the container. Plant the sweet potato closer to the edge of the container so that the vines cascade downward.
Water your container garden thoroughly. Allow the water to drain out of the container.
Care for Container
Apply a one inch of organic mulch around the plants. The mulch will help to retain moisture.
Water the container plants in the morning with the nozzle dial set on mist. If you reside in an area that has intense heat, then move your container to an area that will allow partial shade in the heat of the day. This will prevent the container from drying out.
Tips
Growing season for the sweet potato vine is late spring through the fall frost.
Warning
The sweet potato vine is sensitive to frost. If your forecast calls for a late frost, bring your vine container garden inside.
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